Saying Goodbye: my last post on mothering.com

My mother-in-law Susan was nine years old when her mom died. Ten years later her older sister, who had five children, choked on a piece of steak at a restaurant and also died. Susan never had a chance to say goodbye.

Maybe because of those sad experiences, my mother-in-law is always careful to make goodbyes—even if you’re just going away for a few hours—special.

My husband does too: No one, not even the I’m-Miss-Independent 11-year-old, leaves without a hug and a kiss and an I love you.